Simpler is Better: An Updated Gateway Page for Products

They may seem simple changes, but we think some recent updates to the Products & Services page on Cisco.com will make this page easier and quicker for you to use.

Here are some of the main things we’ve improved:

Links are more obvious. Previously, some links were hidden behind drawers. Examining the metrics — plus testing with you — convinced us to make all the links visible, which will definitely help for findability.

Scanning the list of products is easier.

Scanning the list of services is easier and the lists are more obvious.

There’s a new “Key Topics” module which allows a clear navigation path to these important areas.

We’ve updated the “Let us Help” content to reflect all of our main contact methods so you can connect with us more easily.

It’s easier find key links to areas like Visio stencils and EOL products. And, we’ve added a few new links places like the Developer Network Marketplace and Developer Network (Resources).

A lesson is this update is that sometimes, simpler is better. The previous design was an improvement over its earlier version, but also had some interactive elements such as switchable tabs and popup drawers; these may have been “cool” to play with, but didn’t do much to help usability or speed of navigating on the page. We’ll let you know how this new, more simple version performs.

The new page:

For comparison, the previous version:

The older one is shorter, but in the end, we find that people don’t mind scrolling or swiping a bit to get to the information they need. It’s much better to have the information visible.

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